ELBERT – For the Elbert football team, Saturday’s 8-man state semifinal game was about finishing the season with pride.

The No. 4 Bulldogs (9-3) hosted undefeated and top-ranked Merino for the chance to advance to the state championship, but were overwhelmed by the depth and speed of the 2007 state champions. Merino won 56-24.

“They are a better team and they have a great program with a lot of history at the state level,” Bulldogs coach Shawn Graves said. “They deserve to move on, but I’m proud of the way we played. I’m just glad we didn’t quit.”

Elbert kept pace with the Rams during the first quarter, allowing just one touchdown. But the Bulldog defense faltered in the second quarter, giving up three scores and two 2-point conversions.

“It was that one just before the half that really broke our backs,” Graves said, referring to a 53-yard touchdown catch by Merino’s Evan Albrandt. “We started allowing them to score quickly and play their game.”

The Bulldogs narrowed Merino’s lead near the 9-minute mark in the third quarter when junior quarterback Travis Hutchens’ 2-yard run and Mike Kochera’s 2-point conversion made it 36-16. But three quick scores from Merino, including an 86-yard kickoff return by Bryan DeSanti, put the game out of reach.

“My hat is off to Elbert and the way they played with the number of players they had,” said Merino coach John Barber, who has 12 more players on his roster. “Their starting eight are probably just as good as our starting eight, but their guys had to play constantly and they just never got a break.”

Hutchens scored twice for Elbert, while senior Dawson Weber gave the Bulldogs their only first-half touchdown.

Pine Creek’s Dallas Fields, second from right, tried to comfort teammate Josh Chance after Saturday’s 4A state quarterfinal football loss to Longmont. Photo by LEWIS GEYER, TIMES-CALL